WSR Mixed Traction Weekend 10-12 June 2016

I cannot agree with your comment as a major player in the organisation of the gala is the small group of volunteers who travel long distances each weekend to restore the fleet of West Somerset diesel locos.

I'm sure that First group would require the shunters for weekend use at LA and SPM.

I have to say that I'm quite happy with the gala. The railway offers us diesel enthusiasts the chance to hear various classes of loco working hard over the steep inclines of the West Somerset Railway. The drivers that I know are all very enthusiastic and know what the punters want.

If there was a steam or diesel gala at any preserved line in the country that I didn't rate then I wouldn't attend. Take a hint. <BJ>

 

I think the West Somerset Railway is one of those railways which tries to cater for both parties of holiday visitors or families and the engine enthusiasts. Yes, they cater for the steam enthusiasts much better than the diesel enthusiasts, just looking at the success of the steam gala this year and the huge number of engines and people visiting. However, I think mixed traffic weekend which used to be a 'diesel gala' before has sort of slipped. I think allowing most of the home locos and one 66 which has visited before isn't really a popular gala, especially as I can see higher fares being charged when you can get all the home locos in the summer on the diesel diagram (which has been reduced from 80 odd miles to 60 miles). Introducing a steam loco to the 'diesel gala' is not a good thing as they are trying to cater for both parties of visitors and enthusiasts, but it will not promote the enthusiasts to go. If they don't want a diesel gala, as we have seen the decline of quality of galas and the amount of diesel locos leaving the line, don't cater a diesel gala and run like the Paignton and Dartmouth railway. That railway is successful because it solely runs steam locos as a commercial enterprise and the WSR may see that in the next couple of years, I think.

A diesel gala needs to have a variety of locos to allow all types of enthusiasts to attend, from new to old. A few key visiting locos for the weekend will top the gala off. The hourly timetable I find successful, although others find it a bit boring. I don't want the railway to abuse its many qualities for the diesel gala and if they do, they can be scaring a very large population of diesel enthusiasts.

The thing with that gala, the class 20 was the only BR Blue visiting loco so it only did a Friday shuttle service. The amount of locos the WSR have painted from blue to maroon and green to fit in the steam theme shows that they are not interested with the core diesel fans.

 

Not sure I blame them given the passenger demand on the WSR - not to mention that if the diesel fans are so fickle that the paint colour will put them off, maybe the WSR has better things to do than chase that segment of the market.

 

Fickle!! the one thing most Railway enthusiasts of whatever breed or band are is fickle

 

Can I refer people back to the official WSR website again, http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/product.php/29/mixed-traction-weekend where it says, towards the bottom, that visiting locos will be announced when known, ie. don't take this as the final line up - things may change yet!

 

Just look at what is going on at the "steam only" Bluebell from tomorrow as what can be achieved with cooperation from a mainline company. Maybe something similar could be done on WSR?
I do feel sorry for the new generation of diesel enthusiasts, Nothing on the mainline now but units.
But the numbers attending WSR Mixed Traction gala do not compare to that of a steam gala, so cannot justify many visiting locos without sponsorship.

As someone who was doing Sulzers on the mainline from 1976-2002.
After 2002 I started going to diesel events on heritage railways but soon got disillusioned by locos having to coast up hill so as not to exceed 25 mph.
Started to appreciate that small to medium steam was best suited to preserved lines and became hooked. Very rarely bother with diesels now.
About the only railway that can provide decent diesel appreciation is NYMR. D7628 or D5061 on load 7 from Grosmont to Goathland is superb.

 

The organisers of the steam gala took a huge gamble in attracting so many visiting steam engines. I see it as a one off occasion as it was the 50th anniversary since the last passenger train ran over the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.
Thankfully the weather was good and the trains were generally full. The railway's success was very much deserved.
Perhaps the diesel gala / MTW should have a theme. Any ideas folks? <BJ>

 

Yes we'll that's very well and good but if they do add anything most people would have booked there holidays already all the cheap travel and book ahead accomadation would have been booked up so it'll be too late

 

I

I fully agree with what your saying about the Bluebell sir I'm off there myself on Saturday, I hope that everyone can see I'm trying to be helpfull in what I'm saying I really want the MTW successfull but looking at it I just cannot see it being so and that might be a bad thing for the future

 

So confirmed home fleet early and a 66 , zzzz
So even though the spring gala made money tc no money was set aside for visiting locos for the diesel gala,
I can't believe how down hill diesel galas have gone in past 6 years,
Seems to me like the railway wants a poor attendance so they can pull the event,

Someone prove me wrong,

 

i think this proves it wont change, http://depg.org/mtw16update.html

 

Not wishing to be personal, but how about seeing a half full glass sometimes? The WSR gala organisers do a good job.

John

 

They used to do a good job,you cant dispute that,
But 1015 not being available then giving up on finding another loco, not allocating any money for visitors,
I wouldn't call that good,
Just look at all the other railways who try and get rewarded by trying the diesel angle, svr lost count of how many locos are attending/running near to 20 I think, mid Hants are tryin the diesel angle,Swanage is successful, what's the common denominator, they all try the best they can to listen to what they customers want ,
The customer is always right,

 

Yes, the customer's money is decisive, but has to be balanced against the cost involved in providing for every whim and fancy. The WSR events organisers have to make decisions based on their own experience as to the correct balance.

 

The point your missing is its seems like there's was no intention and or back up oh gbrf will provide a shed and 1015s busy, we. Wont bother asking gb if they can provide more/another loco, seems they spent too much money on signs and locos at the spring gala and now they've alienated diesel enfusiasts even more then they already have,

 

How do you know that? Are you in contact with the DELG?

.....and made a very nice profit thank you. I'm sure that the organisers would like to repeat the experience at some time knowing that the punters and steam enthusiasts won't keep whinging again and again and again if things don't work out exactly to plan. <BJ>

 

I can recall someone saying that the Bluebell's Deltic gala would be a failure because only two Deltics featured rather than a horde of other classes. Turns out they were wrong and the event was a rest success. Shows you can have a good event without having more locos than t you can shake a stick at. How about going along to the event and giving it your support?

 

Your missing the point, not asking for more locos then we can shake sticks at,
Home fleet ,the shed and another would have been fine ,
Its not the locos that are the problem, its the organisation of it all,
I mean if I know I have ex amount of money and have to pay ex amount of people, I make sure I have enough to cover it all, so why couldn't they see well we've got the spring gala we wanna go big lets use this amount for this we've got the home fleet late summer weekend so lets get a couple vistors for the diesel gala, or as the case is not cause unlike most years no budget was get aside for them.

I'm going to the event, only to lineside, but if I cant get round to locations in a car or a bus, Il do that otherwise if I travel between locations not laying out for a rover when I only need to get from wiliton to stogumber ,or any where the bus doesn't serve,

Maybe counter productive but if they don't want to allocate money for the gala, I don't feel like allocating x amount of money from my pocket,

 

Sorry, but I start getting a bit annoyed at this freeloading attitude. It costs a lot of money to run a gala, and if we go to it the least we can do is 'allocate money' for it. Otherwise with too many people adopting this attitude, it won't happen next year.

John

 

Hardly freeloading when I paid to get to the places, the normals don't get to , its hardly freeloading when I put money into the local area,

How can the £26 onday rover be justified for a sponsored loco instead of the normal £19 ?

Yeah it costs alot of money ,but an extra £6 for the home fleet, doesn't sit right with me.